


Samhain Sacrifice

by Pureblood_Muggle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Astronomy, Blood Magic, Friendship, Gen, Minor Character Death, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pureblood_Muggle/pseuds/Pureblood_Muggle
Summary: A seemingly small grudge held too long turns into a matter of life and death.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21
Collections: Astronomy: 2020 Round Three





	Samhain Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [TheSlytherinCabal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSlytherinCabal/pseuds/TheSlytherinCabal) in the [DBQ2020Round3](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBQ2020Round3) collection. 



> "Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me but are the property of J.K.R. and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended. The theme for this round of the competition was Astronomy and my chosen pairing was Andromeda Tonks/Kingsley Shacklebolt. Comments/Reviews are encouraged by The Slytherin Cabal's Admin Team on all stories in Death By Quill, but comments left by readers are set to be moderated by story authors until the end of the competition in order to protect participants' anonymity. Thank you to my beta maloreiy for their time and help."

Andromeda Tonks liked catching up with her long-time friend, Odelia Shacklebolt. Odelia _Robertson_ , since she’d married; but to Andromeda, she’d always be _Little Shackle._ They had met at Hogwarts in their first week, when they were paired up in Divination, and had quickly become close friends.

So close, in fact, that Odelia became part of the _Seven Sisters—_ a very close group of seven witches, bonded by friendship, before certain... choices... broke them apart.

Their close kinship was the envy of many, though some were quick to point out that the group was, indeed, made up of only pureblood witches, six of whom were in Slytherin. Odelia was the only _Sister_ from the House of Ravenclaw, and there were those who lusted after her place, deeming her unworthy.

“Muuuuuuuuuum!”

Odelia rolled her eyes and grinned. “I’m sorry Andy, they’re so excited to be here with Teddy.”

She’d barely finished her sentence when Sebastian, her oldest child by three minutes, came careening around the corner, closely followed by his twin, Olivia, and a giddy Teddy. At five-and-a-half years old, he gave the 10-year-old twins a run for their money.

“Yes, dear? Whatever could you be looking for now?” She assumed a confused expression that fooled no one. 

“Ice-cream!” Teddy shouted, then caught Andromeda’s look. “Please, Nana? May we have ice-cream? You said we could later. It’s later now, isn’t it?” 

Andromeda nodded gravely. “I suppose it is. They’re in the bottom drawer of _—_ ” But the kids were already gone.

“I never thought to do this all over again,” she said, a little wistfully. “Not like this. Grandmothers are supposed to spoil their grandchildren, not parent them.”

“Oh, Andy.” Odelia frowned into her teacup. “I never thought I’d be doing this at all. It took so long to conceive. I’m 50 this year, for Merlin’s sake! You’re right though. The war messed up too many families. You should have Dora here, and Remus… and Ted. People still tell me that time will heal all. But I miss Simon. Sebastian and Olivia don’t remember him much anymore. It hurts to see them forgetting.”

For a moment, both sat quietly, lost in memories. 

“Did you read the _Prophet_ this morning?” Odelia asked suddenly. 

“Not yet.”

“Tauri Culpepper is out of Azkaban.” 

Andromeda’s eyes went wide. “Surely not! Already?”

“Already. There was a long spiel about her ‘ _good behaviour’_ and being let out on probation,” Odelia said. “The article stated she has to sign in daily at the DMLE, as if that would do any good. Where was her ‘good behaviour’ when she hexed my husband in the back at the Battle? Oh, she might not have killed Simon outright, but that hex stopped him from defending himself against Nott, who most certainly did.” 

“She’s always had a knack of talking herself out of blame and situations. Remember when she tried to convince us to drop you as a _Sister_?”

“How could I forget! She called me all sorts of names and threatened me more than once. _Accidents happen, Odelia,_ ” she mimicked a voice higher than her own. “She always hated me so much.” A pained look appeared on Odelia’s face. “Please let us talk about something else, Andy, and I hope I’ll never come face to face with her.”

Andromeda forced a smile to her face and obliged. 

“Why don’t you tell me more about that job you are thinking of accepting?”

Odelia’s face lit up. “Well!”

* * *

Andromeda sighed contentedly. Her eyes were closed as she listened to Vivaldi’s _Four Seasons: Autumn_ , flowing over her from her gramophone. How she loved the playfulness of it! 

So entranced was she that it took her a moment longer than usual to realise her Floo had activated and someone was trying to talk to her.

“Kingsley, what a surprise. How are you?” she said, once she settled with her head in the flames. 

“I’m wonderful, thank you. I trust you are well also. Please excuse my intruding. I’ll need Odelia back, I’m afraid.” 

Andromeda frowned at his grinning face. “Odelia isn’t here, though she came yesterday. Is everything alright?” 

“She said she’d go to yours. She-”

“One moment, I’ll come on through. I’m getting too old to kneel like this.” 

* * *

“Andromeda,” Kingsley said warmly, as he clasped both her hands in his. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” 

“Of course, now what’s this all about?” She squeezed his hands and studied his strained face with a frown. “What did she say before she left?”

Kingsley let go and sighed as he ran one hand over his bald head. “That’s just it. She didn’t really say anything out of the ordinary. Only that she’d be a couple of hours and for me to watch the children.”

“Where are they now?”

“Oh, they’re on a playdate over at the Weasleys.”

“They wanted more entertainment?” she guessed. When Kingsley looked sheepish, she raised a brow.

“They’re a handful,” he admitted, with a self-deprecating laugh. “Molly’s well capable, whereas I am more of a fun uncle who spoils them.” He shrugged.

“Are you concerned about Odelia then?”

“It’s hopefully nothing. Call it an old Auror’s instinct.” He paused. “Let’s walk while I explain. I could show you what we did with the children last night?” 

“I’d love to. Lead the way.” She smiled at him and took his proffered arm. 

Andromeda admired the colourful garden, surrounded by a cacophony of oranges, yellows, purples, reds and browns. She squinted her eyes against the autumn sunshine and inhaled deeply, relishing the crisp air. Kingsley steered her toward the back corner where a fire pit sat nestled amongst a circle of seven stone seats. 

“We had a fire last night, as is tradition. The children decorated the stones.”

Andromeda couldn’t stop the surprised laugh that tore from her throat. “You? You, Sir Cynical, entertained an old divination ritual with your niece and nephew?”

“I know, I know.” He held up his hands in surrender and grinned. “I’m a pushover, what can I say? But look. Four stones by the fire, and a marvellous job they did decorating them.” 

Andromeda walked around the firepit, admiring the stones. Her smile faded and she frowned, walking around again to count them.

“There are only three, Kingsley.”

“Pardon?” 

She looked over to him to find him distracted by a message from a small barn owl. 

“There are only three stones,” Andromeda repeated. “Which one is missing?” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her pulse increased, and she clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. 

Kingsley’s eyes were glued to the piece of parchment in his hand, however. His posture straightened and coiled alertness visibly ran through him. 

“What is it?” she asked, stepping closer to him. 

Wordlessly, he handed the missive to her.

_‘On Samhain, the Traitor will die - as it ought to be - and all will be just.’_

Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes snapping up to Kingsley’s. The fear she saw in his dark features did nothing to calm her own nerves. 

She recognised this handwriting. 

She’d spoken about her only yesterday. 

“Kingsley,” she said shakily, as she put a hand on his arm, “tell me right now, which of the stones is missing?” Andromeda was glad her voice came out strong despite her rising fear.

“Odelia’s,” he whispered. “Odelia’s was green with daisies painted on.”

“You are aware...” Andromeda paused and swallowed, beginning again. “You are aware that legend says whoever finds their stone gone by morning won’t live to see the end of the year.” 

It wasn’t a question.

“Superstition, nothing more,” he replied, although a note of insecurity had edged into his voice.

She turned away from him, surveying the stones in the now cold fire pit. “Normally, I would agree. But this note...it’s from Tauri. I _—_ I know her penmanship. Tauri _—_ ”

“You think this has something to do with the _Seven Sisters_?” he interrupted her.

“I do. You’ve likely not heard all of it. The threats she used to make, the hexes even at school…” she trailed off and whirled back to him. 

“We need an astrolabe,” she said suddenly. “Do you have one here?” 

“I don’t. The only one I know of right now is at Hogwarts. Why?”

“I need to calculate Samhain. Do you think Minerva will mind us visiting?”

“She won’t, but Samhain is on every calendar, surely.”

“The commercial one, of course. It’s more exact than that though, something Tauri well knows. The old druids would calculate it exactly to the minute. You won’t find that on any calendars.” 

“You really think this message is from Tauri? And about Odelia?”

“Kingsley, Tauri’s out of Azkaban. She blamed Odelia for everything when we were younger, and always swore she’d one day show us why it was a mistake not to let her in.” Her hands shook and she closed her eyes tightly, as if to block out the world. “Don’t you remember her shouting ‘ _Traitor’_ at Odelia as she testified? I have a really bad feeling about this, Kingsley.”

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes roaming her face. “Then let us waste no more time. We can Floo directly to Minerva’s office.” 

Without waiting for a reply, he purposefully strode back into the house, and Andromeda hastened to catch up with him. 

“Your Floo is connected to the Headmistress’s office?” Andromeda asked, nodding her thanks at the jar of powder he held out for her.

“It does have its advantages, being the Minister for Magic.” For a split second, his face lit up with a contagious grin. She shook her head and followed him through.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall greeted them warmly, brushing off their apologies for arriving without so much as a by-your-leave. After receiving a quick explanation of their reason for this impromptu visit, she assured them both that they were welcome to use the school’s astrolabe and, she hastened to add, any other resources she could give them.

A short while later, both Kingsley and Andromeda took a few moments to regain their breath. Kingsley, despite the serious situation, chuckled. She looked at him askance. 

“I used to run stairs for the fun of it. Always had to keep fit. Now, look at me, wheezing after a measly 97 steps.”

Andromeda huffed a laugh, unable to voice just yet that she herself was a lot more winded than she’d care to admit. Instead, she looked around the room, memories of her years spent in its confines, studying stars - and kissing her boyfriend - in every corner. 

“It’s funny, you know.” She spoke softly as she ran her hand over one of the telescopes. “Ted… Ted and I met like this. We were lumped together with the Hufflepuffs to study the Andromeda Galaxy and he made this god-awful joke about being my Perseus.” She shook her head, a wistful smile on her lips.

“You still love him,” Kingsley stated quietly. 

Her eyes were turned to the sky and she took her time answering. 

“I will always love him. There’s a piece of my heart that belongs solely to him. Yet, he is gone and life is for the living.” 

Abruptly, she turned to him, her eyes blazing with determination. “I’ll be damned if I will sit back and watch more people I love die.”

“Die? Is Tauri truly that evil? Those were schoolgirl grudges.”

A brief flash crossed her features but then she steeled herself. “She’s… not well. Tauri has often displayed a dark side, much like Bellatrix. Even at school she was obsessed with Oíche Shamhna, the eve before Samhain begins.”

“What?”

Andromeda rubbed his arm, aware that it appeared condescending, and tried to soften the gesture with a smile. “We’ve all called it Samhain for so long, most have forgotten that it is not the 31st of October. When the great druids celebrated it, it wasn’t a set date. It moved from year to year. Halloween, the eve of Samhain, is Oíche Shamhna.” 

She straightened and her voice became harder. “Semantics aside, the fact remains that if she truly means harm and reinstates some of the old rituals that require sacrifice... Kingsley, we must find the correct date this year. The night on which the Pleiades Cluster, better known as the _Seven Sisters_ , crests at midnight, equidistant between autumnal equinox and winter solstice. They always put it on the same days in calendars, never taking into consideration that it discounts leap years and must be calculated from the old dates. If we find Samhain, we will find them.”

With a determined roll of her shoulders, she walked to a cabinet on the far wall. She extracted a brass instrument about eight inches in diameter, with several moving metal plates inlaid amongst circles of runes and numbers. 

Andromeda set it on a nearby table, summoned spare parchment and a quill, and set to work.

Kingsley sat opposite her for the next hour, while she consulted books, charts, and the very stars themselves, until she shoved a date _—_ scrawled on the bottom of a long piece of parchment _—_ at him: _6th November 2003._

* * *

Back at Kingsley’s house, after a hurried good-bye to Minerva _—_ with a promise to catch up properly soon _—_ Andromeda wasted no time requesting fresh parchment, a quill, and ink. Out of the _Seven Sisters_ , only five had survived the last war. Bellatrix and Euphemia had both died.

The first two notes were quickly written. The third and final one though, made her hesitate. It had been many years since she had laid eyes on her younger sister. She wasn’t even sure if Narcissa would answer, let alone show up and help. Yet, calling on her was necessary. They would have a much greater chance of success with her. 

Andromeda’s quill was held suspended above the parchment, a small drop of ink slowly dripping down. With a firm shake of her head, and a deep breath, she wrote the third note. On a whim, she signed off as _Andy_. 

Kingsley called upon the two family owls he had to deliver the notes to Narcissa, Elizabeth Macmillan, and Hyacinth Fawley. 

* * *

The next day, Kingsley arrived with an Auror he introduced as Williamson. Shortly afterwards, both Elizabeth and Hyacinth arrived in person, each clutching the note they’d received the night before.

“How is this possible?” Hyacinth exclaimed, rather angrily. “Odelia is such a strong witch. How did Tauri even get to her?”

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing,” Kingsley replied. He rubbed his bald head and briefly closed his eyes, tired after a sleepless night. “That’s neither here nor there. What’s important is to find out where they are now.” 

“Where is she staying currently? And didn’t the paper say she has to present herself at the Auror office daily?” Elizabeth asked. “The _Prophet_ said so.” 

“Her known address is being monitored, though she hasn’t gone to it since yesterday. She has failed to present herself today,” Williamson confirmed. “There’s a warrant out for her arrest, and international travel is being monitored, as well as the Floo Network.”

“It’s a pity you can’t put a trace on an adult,” Andromeda said thoughtfully. “Or maybe…” 

She trailed off and walked away from the group to stare unseeingly out the window. Behind her, the low voices became a jumble of white noise as her thoughts swirled in a thousand directions at once. 

“What was that spell that led them to Ted?” she asked quietly. “The Taboo?”

“Pardon?” Kingsley joined her by the window. 

“The Taboo that led _them_ to Ted. Can’t we use it to get to _her_?” She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

“The Taboo is Dark Magic, Andy. It’s illegal to use it.”

“But—”

“I myself made sure that it stayed that way, and the incantation is locked away without access. Believe me, if I could, I would have used it the moment I knew Odelia was kidnapped.”

“You must remember it though,” she insisted. “If you locked it away you must have read it and—”

“Andromeda, I did read it. And then, I _forgot_.” 

Her face fell as realisation of what he had done set in. 

* * *

Over the next few days, emotions ran high as they discussed and argued over maps of both Wizarding and Muggle UK. Unable to agree on a single location, they drew up a list of places most likely associated with ritual magic, druids, and the seasons. Even discounting the lesser ones, they were still left with seven locations and a feeling of dread should they have missed even one other important site.

On the afternoon of Samhain, Kingsley assigned Aurors to keep watch over each site. 

With the Aurors dispatched and a plan set, all that was left was to wait. The nervous energy that coursed through Andromeda’s house was nothing short of palpable. Words were sparse as everyone withdrew to their own thoughts. 

They all jumped when a knock sounded on the front door late in the evening. 

Kingsley drew his wand and left to answer. 

Moments later, he returned with a blonde woman in tow. For the first time in years, Andromeda and Narcissa were in the same room. Andromeda’s heart clenched tightly, and she let out a breath she’d been holding when Elizabeth bustled over to pull Narcissa fully into the room. She was thankful she was spared the awkward words that surely were due.

Instead, she filled a mug with tea the way she remembered and wordlessly handed it to her sister. Narcissa took it and nodded in acknowledgement without interrupting their other _Sisters_ ’ explanation of events.

At fifteen minutes to midnight, Kingsley’s Ministry ID flashed purple and the medallion seal confirmed a location.

* * *

Williamson greeted them in the Muggle car park just north-west of Stonehenge in Wiltshire. 

“Anti-apparition wards set over the monument, sir,” the Auror explained, just as the other Aurors materialised next to them. 

“We should’ve known it was this place,” Kingsley grumbled. “All the others were too closed in to see us coming. This is wide open. What’s the status, Williamson?”

“Culpepper is inside the monument, your sister with her. She appears incapacitated, possibly unconscious,” he said, in a matter-of-fact voice, though his obvious swallow at the end betrayed his nerves at having to tell the Minister about Odelia’s situation.

“Did Culpepper see you?” Kingsley asked, his voice steady.

“Unsure, sir. Upon arriving inside the henge, she immediately cast charms I did not recognise.”

“Right. Proceed as discussed.”

* * *

They could feel the wards around the stones, but nothing they tried was able to break through. 

“I’ve felt this before,” Narcissa said quietly. Using her wand, she sliced her hand and smeared the nearest stone with blood. 

Nothing changed. 

“We only have a few minutes left,” Elizabeth pointed out. “What do we do?”

“It wants more.” Narcissa ran her still-bloodied hand over the stones. 

Without hesitation, Kingsley also cut his hand and joined his blood to the next stone. One by one, everyone followed suit, desperate to do something, even the two closest Aurors, Williamson and Tetchley.

Only when the seventh person spilt their blood, did the atmosphere change and they all but fell into the henge. 

“Tauri!” Andromeda shouted, hurrying her steps to reach them.

Tauri Culpepper didn’t turn or stop her continuous chanting. A fierce, localised wind fluttered about Odelia’s hair and robes, without affecting Tauri or the candles lit around the altar stone where she lay. 

Abruptly, the chanting stopped and Tauri raised a silver dagger high over Odelia’s body. 

“No,” Andromeda breathed, throwing a hand up and casting a silent but forceful _Protego_ over Odelia.

Kingsley’s reaction to the raised dagger was instantaneous. Wordlessly, he caused Tauri to be flung sideways just as she brought the dagger down.

She landed with a sickening crunch, her arms trapped beneath her. A wild cackle could be heard, as the wind raised up high from Odelia and descended on Tauri instead.

“Odelia!” Kingsley approached the altar stone, while the Aurors went to arrest her captor. His sister’s eyes stared blankly up into the night sky. 

“Finite!” he shouted, though it didn’t release her.

“Culpepper!” he called across to the woman on the ground. “Release her! It’s over!”

A rattled gurgling sound was his only answer as the magical wind disappeared. One of the Aurors turned her over to find the dagger deep in her chest. 

Odelia awoke, gasping behind her brother. He went to her and pulled her up into a tight hug.

“She’s dead!” Tetchley called out, confirming the obvious about Tauri.

It was over. 

“The spirits always take a sacrifice, once awakened.” Narcissa’s close voice startled Andromeda. 

“I didn’t mean for her to die,” the older witch replied somberly, finally lowering her hand and balling it into a fist.

“I know.” 

Narcissa’s cool hand found Andromeda’s clenched one and she squeezed tightly. A moment later, Elizabeth clasped her other hand. Hyacinth and Odelia followed suit shortly after until, under the twinkling stars, _Sisters_ —by blood and by bond—were united again. 


End file.
